Category: Art + Photography Page 1 of 2

The Art + Photography category showcases the work of trans creatives. I feature as much art as possible, all made by trans and gender expansive artists.

left eye blue

left eye blue

I like the sky when it’s this blue grey. I stop walking. I want to look. I want to watch the sky being the sky.
It changes, the color does, depending how you look at it. Close one eye and it’s all different. Left eye blue. Right eye grey. Like it can’t decide how it’s feeling.
I get it. I am that way sometimes. I am that way now. I can’t decide how I feel. I can’t decide who I am. I’m not sure who I used to be and I’m afraid to know who I will become.
Maybe that’s why I’ve stopped here. To do this. To stand still and watch the sky. At least here it can’t get worse. Not if I don’t move. Not if i stand still and just watch.
But today is no good for standing. Today the wind is chilly. Not so cold that I want to scurry off back to where I started, but chilly enough so that I notice. Enough to make me just a little uncomfortable. The wind is reminding me that it is there. Its touch just cold enough for me to know that I am not alone.
The clouds are low and they hurry past on their way to somewhere important. Maybe someplace beautiful. Maybe a place where things are sure of themselves. A place where problems are solved and things make sense. A place where the sky is blue and it knows it. A place they are looking forward to getting. A place were they can be alive in the present and leave their memories in the past. A place my earthbound body will never reach. Not by standing.
I’ve been standing here a while now. A lot of clouds have moved on. A lot of new ones have come and look to be intent on doing the same. If I didn’t know better, I would say that didn’t matter. I would say that the sky is still the same sky it was when I stopped moving to watch. But I do know better. At least, I think I do.
Some of it is the same. It’s still the same unsure of itself color. Left eye blue. Right eye grey. The are clouds hurrying. The wind insisting that they move on.
That stuff is the same but, those are different clouds. I know they are. I watched the wind shoo the old ones on their way to find their all the way blue sky. The clouds that I stopped to watch are gone forever. Nothing can stay exactly as it was. Not even the sky. The clouds will never move backward. The wind never blows in reverse.
I can’t fly like the clouds and I’m not sure if my sky will ever be blue. All I know is that I am starting to feel cold. It’s time to go. The wind is right. I have stood here long enough. I’m sure of that.

be visible, be vocal, or be erased


About the Artist

Iden Crockett(@my_name_is_iden) uses her words and her pictures tell the story of her experience as a first responder, her journey through ptsd, depression and the discovery of her identity as a transgender woman.

She publishes new pictures and writing bi-monthly through her free e-zine Trigger Warning

visit www.mynameisiden.com for more details

From the river to the sea…

Living in defiance

living in defiance

Complement this piece with a look into how humans use narrative to understand our selves, or at how the will to create inspires so much more in us.

Kill the Man, Save the Indian

TransJoy Media is proud to present our first ever feature of a mixed media project!


About the Artist

Xris Rodriguez he/him

Portfolio

insta: @xris_512

I am a creature deformed…


About the Artist

Alex McElfresh, he/they/it, find more on Instagram @lavanderlazarus

Complement this piece with an examination of love as a concept.

Softness is a blessing


About the Artist

Alex McElfresh, he/they/it, find more on Instagram @lavanderlazarus

Complement this piece with another poem by an awesome guest author.

Listen – Arien Reed – pt. 2

This white charcoal drawing on black paper features a trans man gazing daringly into the eyes of the viewer. Inspired by Yannis Davy Guibinga’s black on black photography, this piece is meant to stop the viewer, disrupt routines, and inspire courage.


About the Artist

Arien Reed is a trans man who paints/draws other gender diverse and/or intersex people. When not covered in paint, he volunteers as the secretary for Trans-E-Motion, a nonprofit providing gender affirming garments and GAC grants, rental relief grants, free WPATH (transition approval) letters, and more, to the trans community. Follow his artwork on IG or TikTok at @arienreedart or on Facebook at facebook.com/arienreedart

Complement this with another piece meant to inspire courage.

Unbinding – Arien Reed – pt.1

arien reed

This black & white charcoal drawing on gray paper by Arien Reed of a trans man removing his binder feels like a metaphor for breaking free, for hurting in exchange for experiencing needed change. Binders are not comfortable to wear or easy to put on or remove, but the gender euphoria they provide cannot be overstated.


About the Artist

Arien Reed is a trans man who paints/draws other gender diverse and/or intersex people. When not covered in paint, he volunteers as the secretary for Trans-E-Motion, a nonprofit providing gender affirming garments and GAC grants, rental relief grants, free WPATH (transition approval) letters, and more, to the trans community. Follow his artwork on IG or TikTok at @arienreedart or on Facebook at facebook.com/arienreedart

Complement this piece with a poem, or a look into what it means to really see the world for what it is.

A Burden to Bare

My womb is barren – empty and dry.

I never wanted to get my period.

I never wanted to celebrate my ascension into womanhood.

Though my ovaries ache, give me no children.

Filet me.

Hang me by my fallopian tubes – arms spread wide,

So that all may watch the autopsy of my soul.

My act of contrition.


About the Author

G. Picconatto lives and works in Minneapolis, MN. Their written/poetic work focuses primarily on their personal journey with gender. Follow them on Instagram @pisces_witxh.

Complement this poem with a look into the pain of feeling unseen, or a personal account of the realities of accessing healthcare in the U.S.

Queer & Trans Joy in Color – pt. 2

queer & trans joy
queer & trans joy

About the Artist:

When I came out my mom was determined to make sure I knew that being Queer was full of joy. A lot of despair and tragedy affects our community but as I was coming out as trans and queer I was lucky to also see a lot of joy. That will always be a part of my art. It will always be a part of my pride.

-Miles De La Torre, they/them (@miles_does_photos on Instagram)

Complement this piece with part 1 of Miles De La Torre’s Queer & Trans Joy in Color photo series, or by following the TransJoy Media Instagram page where you can find trans artists of all genders and genres!

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